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It's good to see you again, Montrose! After a week in Texas seeing family and meeting my new niece, it's good to be back home...and just in time for Halloween.
Anyone who knows me knows that the spooky season is my favorite of all, but as a Hispanic, Dia de los Muertos holds a special place in my heart. The two days are often mistaken as interchangeable holidays, but they're actually quite different.
How about a history dive?
(Dia de los Muertos alter last year with Hispanic Affairs Project and MADA)
Each year, families welcome these spirits through different traditions spanning cultures, predominantly through an alter consisting mostly of photos of deceased loved ones, marigolds, candles, food or drinks, or other items associated with the loved one.
The tradition pre-dates even pre-Hispanic death rites. Origins stretch back more than 3,000 years ago to Indigenous peoples such as the Mayans, Aztecs and Olmecs.
Hispanic Affairs Project (HAP) President Ricardo Perez noted that the timeless traditions live on today, with each generation adding or modernizing while honoring what still works. In Mexico, some people may recognize the holiday in church while others gather in the country's colorful cemeteries to honor the lives of those past.
Ultimately, the holiday is about communities and family coming together to celebrate loved ones who have moved on from this life.
HAP, along with the Mexican-American Development Association and the Montrose Library, will be hosting its Dia De Los Muertos celebration next Wednesday at the MADA building from 3-8:30 p.m. All are invited and you're encouraged to bring along photo or memorabilia of a passed loved one you would like to place on the community alter.
Keep an eye out this weekend for the full story! In the meantime, have a fun and safe (and warm) Halloween!
- From the newsroom, Cassie
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